Practice these simple tips to start freeing up your time and getting more productivity of the important things done every day.

Often, we wish there were more hours in the day. Unfortunately, we can’t control time. What we can control is our productivity. Being careful with how we spend our time, is vital to getting more done each day. There are a number of ways to make the best use of your time. If you want to be more productive during your day, these simple tips will help get you on your way.

1. Make a daily To-Do List. Create a daily list of realistic tasks to tackle everyday [the day before –preferably – before you leave work]. Keep it simple. Your tasks don’t need to be massive jobs that will take hours to complete. Scheduling “micro-tasks” will not only help you get more done on a day-to-day basis, but they’ll also help your productivity to reach your bigger goals too.

2. Wake up Earlier (when you can). Even if you don’t identify as a “morning person,” you can still become one. By setting your alarm for earlier than usual (& don’t hit the snooze button!), you’ll be able to get an extra time of uninterrupted, peaceful time. Several studies correlate waking up early to productivity & success. Early risers have an advantage — they have extra work time and are more optimistic in general.

3. Exercise in the Morning. Do a little morning yoga or other exercise. Getting a little workout in the morning is linked to more energy, better mood + higher levels of creativity & productivity. Harvard psychiatry professor explains that exercise is vital in reaching “high-performance levels in intellectually demanding jobs.”

4. Get Organized, Prioritized. Having an organized system will give you a clear & consistent idea of the projects you’re working on. This inventory of commitments will bring clarity, focus & control. It will help you know what’s most important – and do it.

5. Focus on (1) thing at a time. Focus on getting one project finished before switching to the next (if possible). People usually think that they’re getting more done by multi-tasking – but in reality – going back & forth from task to task usually isn’t beneficial. In fact, trying to perform two tasks simultaneously can actually take a toll on productivity, a study by the American Psychological Association reveals. While some of us are guilty of talking on the phone, while typing out an Email – it’s not the little tasks that deter productivity, but the larger ones. “The mind & brain were not designed for heavy-duty multi-tasking,” reports the study.

6. Do the “hardest” Tasks first. It’s best to get those dreaded tasks out of the way first. After getting that big chunk of difficulty out of the way, the rest of your day is freed to complete everything else. Not only will you feel better, you’ll be much more productive too.

7. Make “quick” Decisions. If you want to get more done during your day, you’ve got to work fast. Start by cutting down the amount of time it takes you to make a decision. Decision-making can be one of the most time-consuming tasks you do on a daily basis, so cut down on it to free up your time. A good rule is –“Get 3 sources of info, then decide about the logic” – then decide how you “feel” about it. From your experience, trust your intuition.

8. Eliminate “un-necessary” Meetings. Face-to-face communication is vital in the workplace, but sometimes those long & seemingly endless meetings can be a waste of time. When scheduling any meetings, make sure they are truly necessary and whether what you plan to discuss can be handled through Email or by phone. If you do plan an in-person meeting, schedule it for a short amount of time, so it is fast & to-the-point. When people feel crunched on time, they are more likely to get to the important stuff quickly.

9. Learn to say NO !!! Sometimes that little word seems the hardest to say. But it’s OK to say it. It’s important to manage people’s expectations of you. If you can’t take something on & give it 100 %, then don’t do it at all.

9. Schedule chunks of un-interrupted Time. Once you get yourself focused, stay focused. Although it’s easier said than done, a helpful way to make sure you keep your mind on track is, to clear out a specified, uninterrupted time frame where you focus solely on the project at hand. Whether that means not answering your phone or putting a Do not Disturb sign on your door, create an environment where you are free to focus on the things that are the most important.According to a study by Microsoft researchers, it takes the brain 15 minutes to re-focus after switching our attention to something else. So if you’re constantly being interrupted, it’s going to take you a much longer time to get your work done.

10. Set aside a Time to Read ur Emails. A good routine for you might be: 1st thing in the morning, after lunch & just before you go home. Figure out what works best for you situation – to be responsive.

Keep your Emails organized.

Seeing lots of unread messages in your inbox will only give you anxiety. But it’s also important you don’t overlook any important messages. Keep your inbox clean by responding, filing, drafting or deleting an Email immediately after you’ve opened it.

11. Get enough Sleep. This one’s should be a given, but you’d be surprised how few people actually do get enough sleep every night. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Are you getting that much? Maybe it’s time to go to bed earlier. Sleep can make or break your productivity and well-being.

12. Meditate before going into the office. Take a couple minutes right when you wake up to clear your mind and meditate. According to the Art of Living Foundation, morning meditation is particularly powerful, because it re-charges your spirit and prepares you for the challenges that lie ahead.